[ ♪ theme music ♪ ] >> michael: coming up there are certain events whose impact on the country is so profound that they transcend above all partisan politics. apparently at least to some boston was not one of those events. i'm michael shure. you are in the war room. [ ♪ music ♪ ] >> michael: now let's get straight to the latest from boston. dhokhar tsarnaev admitted that

he and his brother detonated the bomb and they shot the police officers. and he he said, tamerlan said quote, we just killed a cop don't mess with us. he not only confessed but answered questions of how they carried out the attack. they learned how to make the bombs from an online magazine published by al-qaeda. they did it because they had recently became deeply religious and opposed u.s. involvement with iraq and afghanistan: the 24-year-old told authorities that she saw her husband on thursday just hours before he

died in a gun battle with police but she said she had no idea that he had committed the bombings or was planning more attacks. today her lawyer said this brief statement. >> as a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife, she deeply mourns the pain and loss to innocent victims students, law enforcement officers families, and our community. >> michael: the suspect mother went even further telling nbc news there was simply no way that her children committed the horrible crime. she spoke to reporters. >> what has happened is a terrible thing, but i know that my kids have nothing to do with this. i know it. i am mother. i have--you know, i know my kids. i know my kids. really my kids would never get

involved in anything like that. >> michael: nbc reports she was very close to tamerlan and she was actually the one who encouraged him to become more religious. she said she spoke to him thursday night. he told her that police were chasing him and shooting. she spoke of a trip that they made in 2012 to southern russia that has seen low level muslim insurgencyies since 2007. tamerlan made daily trips to a local mosque that had surveillance. it was then that russia alerted the u.s. about his possible extremist ties.

even though the fbi had begun investigating him based on that russian tip he was still allowed to fly back to dagastan because of misspelling opposite his travel documents. theyjanet napolitano was asked why he was not flagged earlier. >> is it true that his flying documents did not match his tsa name why was there a discrepancy. >> by the way the bill will help with this because it requires passports be electronically readable as opposed to be manually input. it really does a good job of getting human error to the extent it exists out of the process. >> michael: that seems like a solid answer. even with secretary napolitano assurance that immigration reform would make the country safer, they're still using the incident as a reason to shelf

immigration. and even though he was a saudi national that was interested, he was cleared. this is to further hammer in a papnapolitano. >> before the brothers became the focus of the investigation the authorities spoke with a saudi student. i sent a letter asking for answers about the bombers and how they interacted with your agency. i trust you would promptly respond given the impact this could have on the immigration debate. >> michael: now from republicans using boston for obstructionism on immigration to their obstructionism on guns. gun safety legislation could have helped police catch the suspects earlier and it might have even saved lives. they're still trying to find out

where the brothers got their guns. neither of them had a license. the reason why it's taking so long is because the nra made it impossible to trace guns and more specifically gunpowder. for more information i'm join by a columnist, author and professor joining us from rochester, new york, david welcome inside 9 war room. >> thank you for having me, michael. >> michael: david, how has the nra made it harder for law enforcement to trace guns and gunpowder. that's something i didn't know about until i read what you wrote. >> in the late the early 70s and late 60s, i covered a lot of bombings and bombing attempts in

the united states. the national rifle association under wayne lapierre has been incredibly hostile to law enforcement. they say science has found you cannot recover bullets. they say good science. the report they base this on was from 1980. it was prepared with a typewriter. anyone who doubts that can go to my website and click on the link to see it. we've made enormous advances in science. it would be easy to quickly trace gunpowder. >> michael: that's amazing to me. it seems like simple process and one that really doesn't challenge the second amendment which they're so about protecting. it doesn't challenge it at all. let's say that the police were able to trace the gunpowder.

what affect could have have had on boston last week. >> presumably they bought it in a store. some people are who are watching could say they could have stolen it that's a possibility but they would go to the store and see more about this. it would further aid the exclusion of the people you don't care about to get to the suspects you do care about and it would enable you to do so very quickly. the nra has a long history under wayne lapierre of hostility to law enforcements. former president george h.w. bush, a lifelong nra member resigned when wayne lapierre referred to the federal agents investigating that awful crime that killed 178 americans as jack footed thugs. >> michael: and they get so

upset when the president or frankly anyone who is arguing for gun control appears with any police officers or anybody with law enforcement. they get so bent out of shape about that. it's so frustrating when i see that. david, you compare it to what would have happened, as you just said, if the suspects had poisoned food, for example, or shot people, how much easier would it have been to find them this it been a poisoning? it took a number of days to figure out to trace these things. given logistics and radio tagging and other things we could do a much better job tracing many things but in particular i don't see any

argument that we should not be able to trace guns. although the nar fights that furiously, or explosive materials. >> michael: explain to me, then, why they would be motivated to keep from happening. >> i wish we had a congressional hearing where members of congress would really grill wayne lapierre about this. the hostility to law enforcement goes a long time. i doubt it has the support of more than a very small minority of members of the nra. and i think this goes to the nature of who that man is, and how he runs this organization. but let's remember there is an economic component here. the only explosive the nra supports is plastic c-4 things like that. who is the major supplier of

that material when it's being used by terrorists that blew up the a pan am flight over scotland. that was libya. when it goes to gun lobby weapons making they oppose any and all regulation. that makes it clear as i wrote in the national memo the nra has really become the lobby enable murder. >> those are really powerful words from david k johnson. at the end of the day what do you think whether come from this? do you think we'll see the nra process another tragedy or law enforcement finally push back? >> well, first law enforcement has. i think it's going to take a while, and it's probably going to require some members of congress who have shown no backbone whatsoever to be voted

out of office. we have 20 dead first graders and kindergarteners and teachers some of who died shielding them, and we can't even get the minimum gun control. that ex-stands far beyond these issues. it extends to issues of how we run the tax system, the regulatory system, how we're seeing our federal government turned into a machine that is not functioning for the welfare of all the american people. >> michael: yes, and you know, it should scream how tired we are of saying that should scream to the american congress. hopefully this will once again scream there are some lucky sur cues law students because they get to have david johnston for a teacher. coming up, the republicans' favorite democrats is calling it quits. he says he has had enough, and for progressives the feeling is more than mutual.

this is your only indestructible aircraft seriously. we can't get rid of it. and mariana cook will join us with her latest work. please stay with us in "the war room."

>> if you believe in state's rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is

any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv. (vo) she gets the comedians laughing and the thinkers thinking. >>ok, so there's wiggle room in the ten commandments, that's what you're saying. (vo) she's joy behar. >>current will let me say anything. [ ♪ music ♪ ] >> michael: on the political front democrats could soon be losing a food hold in red statesman man. matt baucus, a member of six senate and two house terms decided a 44th year in washington was not in the cards.

he won't seek re-election in 2014. he said we should not write him off yet. in the next year and a half i want to spend all of my hard work, shoe leather and luck working for the people of montana instead of on campaigning. he has earned the scorn of democrats when he voted against ex-banded background checks and the gun bill. he called the implementation of president obama's signature healthcare reform law a train wreck. before you scream who is this guy, remember he did help ride the affordable care act. leads hit to mike dennison. mike, thank you for joining us in "the war room"." >> glad to be here. >> michael: mike, tell us what is the buzz in montana about why matt baucus is actually stepping down? >> well, i think baucus, he's 71-year-old, and we're thinking a year or two ago why would this

guy one to aren't again and put himself through the mill. highways been there for 40 years. why would he step down? baucus is a political animal. he is always raising money. even today it was a surprise, i don't think it's a total surprise that max wouldn't say enough is enough. let's call it quits and give people time to run for my seat if they so choose. >> michael: if that wasn't a total surprise, in light of this is is it a surprise the way he voted on the gun bill. >> well, i'm not surprised at all. any democrat in montana is not going to be voting for gun control. john tester did vote for one little piece of that gun control bill on the background checks, but that's it. gun control bill is something that democrats in montana will

runaway from if they can. that's just the way it is. >> michael: mike that was the thrust of it. tester did vote for it, and that was a big part of what the bill was. and then baucus knowing that he wasn't going to run for re-election it doesn't matter how he votes in montana. if he voted for background checks, it seems in light of the fact that tester did it would have made it easier for baucus, no? >> you're assuming that baucus already knew that he was going to drop out of the race. i think it may be something that he was considering. i think he decided it in the last couple of days. he's been pretty consistent ever since he voted for the assault rifle ban 15 almost 20 years ago which a lot of people think hurt him. he was consistent in his votes and discussion abouts gun control. i don't think it was that much of a surprise. >> michael: quickly, you know so much. that's why belove why we love going

to the states who would know about this who will run. >> schweitzer who said just four months ago said he was never going to run for the senate. he was already going to change his tune even today. i spoke to him this morning, and he said i've considered something else, and he made a comment, i'm a guy when i drive by a broken down pick up truck on the highway to stop and fix it. and he referred to the senate as the biggest broken down truck in america. on the republican side the first person that everyone should be thinking about is our congressman steve dane who was just elected as republican four months ago. he said he's giving it some consideration. there are a lot of people calling him saying, please run. you know, he ran against tester initially two and a half years

ago, and then deferred when rebber jumped in a year and a half ago. he this is a guy who knows how to raise money. >> michael: we thank you mike dennison for keeping your eyes on this senate race. we may check back in with you as things develop for schweitzer. for more on where this leaves baucus' retirement in the senate, let's go to donnie fowler. >> hi. >> michael: we have all these retirements happening from iowa to south dakota, now to montana. where does this leave the democrats and which ones are they most in danger of losing. >> it leaves them a lot of territory to defend to keep that majority in the senate. they should be worried about states that obama lost. that's the south dakotas and montanas on that list. >> michael: and we were just

talking with mike dennison, does schweitzer cause a glimmer of hope. >> he's more than a glimmer of hope. he got elected twice in strong campaigns. he is a montana democrat, not a national democrat. there has been strong growth of democrats who are of the state not of the democratic national party or committee. brian schweitzer is one of those democrats and i would put him as a frontrunner. >> michael: do you have a sense of how he would vote on something like background checks. it's totally hypothetical. >> i know he's a farmer and ranker which everyone in montana seems to be. >> michael: john tester is as well. >> like i said the rocky mountain democrats are representing their state. they are of their states. they are not the national democrats that are trying to get

elected in that state. i would be surprise if brian schweitzer voted for gun control. i would be surprised if he voted for done control. >> michael: as they said in montana. >> i think john tester is really the exception where you try to make him the rule. if tester does, then all democrats. i think tester is the exception and baucus is the rule. >> michael: there were three senators who were the exception last time. yes, tester was encouraging. that's what we need. democrats in a place like montana who see the greater good in 90% of american. >> sometimes there are democrats who favor gun rights. >> michael: if you're a democrat democratic strategist you'll know the ento this question. brian schweitzer wears a bolo tie. if he's elected to senate, who would be the last senator to wear a bolo tie.

>> from colorado. >> michael: how big of an opportunity is this for democrats and gun control debate. is this a losing issue for them or could they turn a couple of these states tune. >> what the democrats have done over the past few years is painting the republican party as extreme. you've got examples of healthcare and women's reproductive rights, the iraq war and now begun control. the more opportunities the republicans give the democrats to say hey we republicans are way out on the edge, the better for the democrats. 90% of american people wanted more background checks. republicans unanimously said screw you, america people, we'll stick with our right wing extremists. >> michael: the party of no. >> another example of paint this party as out of touch with the

american people. >> michael: let's speak of the person who out of touch of all that's ted cruz. republican senator ted cruz had a very interesting question for senate napolitano. >> have you had the time to read all 844 pages of the bill? >> actually, i have read the bill. i know many sections of the bill fairly well, so i was able to skim those section but i have been able to review the bill, yes,. >> well, okay, that has been a busy weekend for you. >> michael: i mean, it's mckathy likemcmccarthy like. janet napolitano is very smart and she knows what she's doing. there is a rule that a senator should know. never ask a question that you

don't know the answer. shehe expected her to say no, and he was left speechless. >> michael: how was janet napolitano was able to read the bill during the boston weekend. >> late nights i suppose. >> michael: the white house, the country, the ofa of organizes for america which used to be the obama's fundraising wing has turned may 2nd into a day of action on immigration. how important is ofa on this whole movement? >> there is a lot of history here. the obama world promised this would happen after the 2008 election in the first term. they said we're going to take our campaign activists and volunteers and turn them on congress to push the agenda.

they failed to pass reform and the energy bill. they didn't get everything they wanted on budget and economics. this is not a new development that obama's campaign organization is not going to be turned to advocacy. they had the american peopleadvocacy. on gun control, they had the american people, and the gun control failed. >> michael: donnie fowler, thank you. up next, i guess if something has to be the face of washington not working it might as well something as cool looking as this. the saga of the f-35 fighter jet is right after this. (vo) from the underworld, to the world of privilege. >> everyone in michael jackson's life was out to use him. (vo) no one brings you more documentaries that are real, gripping, current.

>> if you believe in state's rights but still support the drug war you must be high. >> "viewpoint" digs deep into the issues of the day. >> do you think that there is any chance we'll see this president even say the words "carbon tax"? >> with an open mind... >> has the time finally come for real immigration reform? >> ...and a distinctly satirical point of view. >> but you mentioned "great leadership" so i want to talk about donald rumsfeld. >> (laughter). >> watch the show. >> only on current tv. >> cenk: cuts to military spending are now on the table as lawmakers look to avert a fiscal crisis but that's not stopping

the military hear from moving forward on the development of the most expensive warplane of the future. it's the navy's f-35 joint strike fighter. some hail it as an ingenuous plane others as a military boondoggle. lockheed martin who are leading the project is building versions for use by the air force, the marines and the navy. the f-35 boasts features that makes pilots weak in the knees. from its ability to accelerate and super sonic speeds, take off and land vertically. but it's the generous political strategy designed to protect the $400 billion principal from budget cuts. the company has created a budgetary force field by spreading the manufacturing and jobs across 46 states. there are 92 senators and dozens of congressmen who have a stake

in the project: jobs in their district. and if they want wasn't enough eight other nation versus agreed to purchase the plains. so if the lawmakers in the u.s. were to change their minds they'll have to answer to those nations for increasing their per-plane costs. joining me is pie year sprey who joins us from washington, d.c. welcome to the war room. >> thank you. >> michael: what is the advantage of having 46 states involved? is this normal in the military? >> a long time ago it wasn't normal. it's becoming more and more normal. the process of political engineering has become refined over the past two or three decades to where it's become

and it's become just about cancellation proof. >> michael: you see insurance built in the 46 states. it's good for politics, 92 senators and all these congressmen, but how is it for the plane? >> terrible. people don't realize the high price you pay for spreading contracts over 46 states. think about it. you hire somebody in cut bank, montana, to make the nose wheel. first of all as soon as you decided you wanted to go to montana because you needed senator baucus or something you're probably not getting the best nose wheel manufacturer in the country. then if he shows up with his nose wheel late, the whole program slides back and lots of dollars go out the door. if he shows up with a nose wheel that is not quite right a lot

of spec, then you have to send it back and start again. quality suffers, engineering design suffers, schedules suffers and costs suffer like crazy. even the dreamliner, even the dreamliner has been crippled by this type of outsourcing. boeing has admitted they'll never outsource like that again. >> michael: not to mention you talk about the potential problems the f-35 has had problems all right. the rear visibility is blocked. it's tail hook does not always attach after the burner and there is damage to the tail. why are military leaders who are not politicians necessarily, so supportive despite these design flaws? >> i think it's a little naive to say that four-star generals

are not politicians but even worse, 90% go to work for% industry. when you have 90% of generals going to work for industry you'll never have a decent airplane or military. >> michael: is this reversible pierre? is there anything that they can do to change this? 46, it's tough to undo 46 states. >> very tough, very tough. basically the only thing you can do to undo it is to vote some of the people out who are voting for this kind of pork time and time again. it's obvious when you watch senators of congressmen who the pork merchants are. if their constituents don't vote them out it then we're stuck with a flawed defense. >> michael: let's say you want to vote one of these people out the person running against them

isn't going to say and we have to get rid of that nose wheel plan here in cut bank, montana. that's not going to happen. it seems like it's there forever. but there are other countries like the u.k. and canada who have planes to purchase this plane, but the cost of the plane has nearly doubled since 2001. are countries considering backing out because of how expensive it's become? >> this plane has caused political upheavals in canada, holland, italy. people are really fed up in those countries, especially countries that are under the gun in europe to pay back the banks and they're being told they have to export 20, 50, $60 billion a year to pay for some airplane that most of them didn't want. a lot of customers are looking certainly at cutting down their buy if not backing out. canada, in fact, the prime minister fell overlying about

the cost of the f-35. >> michael: it seems it is saddled with problems, pie year sprey, thank you for are bringing this--forgive me--on our radar but it's very important to hear about and to talk about. coming up again they say a picture is worth a thousand words, then surely marianna cook can speak volumes about the pie years ofpioneers of social justice. she will join us right after this.

>> michael: this evening in our ongoing series "the march goes on" we speak to marianna cook, her book features block and

white portraits of human rights activists all over the world. all of whom changed the world in which we live. there are several civil rights activists including a southern ask judge whose ruling applied the at application of brown versus the board of education. and stood next to nelson mandela when he cast his first vote in 1994. andand bob moses a leading figure in the 60s student non-violent coordinating committee helping southern blacks register to vote and organizing freedom summer. thank youjoining me now from new york is marianna cook, welcome inside "the war room"." >> thank you very much.

>> michael: what drew you to do this. >> bringing people who had qualities that cared about human beings so much that they were willing to sacrifice their own comfort and risk their lives to fight for someone else. that was really my. >> michael: -- >> michael: yes, you see something that is woven in all of these people. did you find a common characteristic or trait that compelled someone to advocate for human rights, to rise above no one else? >> they all had a remarkable conscience, i thought and that was evidenced by their sense of fairness passionate sense of fairness, also a remarkable em empathy. but all combined with a doggedness like i've never seen before which requires a kind of aggression to accomplish what it is they want.

it was actually a little bit confusing and very curious that on the one hand they were--they felt so empathic, warm, and yesterday able to fight so hard on the other. i've never met that in any group of people that i've photographed otherwise. it was very curious to me. >> michael: yes, that is so interesting. so many of them are fighting in places where that fight is not initially well received at all. you travel around the world to speak to lawyers human rights activists, political dissidents. did you find in trouble yourself with authorities who were not in favor of your project? >> the only play that i was really sort of nervous was in burma. i had my 15-year-old daughter with me. and we were followed by the secret police when we left. i thought we would be okay, but i was concerned that they might confiscate my film.

i didn't quite know, and any of' never been followed by the secret police and had to make an escape before. that was a little bit anxiety provoking. >> michael: i can only imagine. let's move to some of those profiles we saw. jimmy carter, president jimmy carter was the first president to make humans rights a cornerstone of u.s. foreign policy. tell me about your conversation with president carter. >> one of the things that interested me, he was--what he said about impunity, where he said that he varied a bit from more pure rights activists. he said he wasn't necessarily opposed to giving wretched dictators impunity if it meant that they would step down sooner. they were afraid of being prosecuted by the international criminal court, and because of that they're not willing to give up. they stay and they fight.

but if you gave them impunity, and you were not going to prosecute them, they might be willing to step down sooner and save more people sooner. >> michael: it's a cut your loses type of a policy. >> yes more practical. >> michael: it seems that way. let's move to representative john lewis. he's a really spiritual man. how were you able to capture this through your photography? >> i think he simply gave it to me. we had a wonderful conversation first. i interviewed him for the text that accompanies each photograph then we went outside his office, and he simply stood there. he had a centeredness, patience, and he gave of himself. a truly good portrait has to be given, it can't be taken coerced manipulated. the person has to feel good enough in their own skin to give themselves and he was able to

do that. >> michael: you alluded to the interviews and text in the book. i think it's remarkable. all of your photographs they're first-person accounts written by these people presumably, and how did you make a decision to do that rather than writing about them yourself? >> i wanted it to be in the first person because they're portraits. i didn't want to have an appearance of an objective third person in relation to the first person. i prefer to have a juxtaposition of the visual, and then the verbal--not that one illustrate the other, which you used to find in a lot of magazines but where they're on equal footing. in this book 70 of the subjects did not wish to write. they were busy, etc. so they asked--i interviewed them, and then i put it--i editing them in the first person, and then of course showed them to the subjects and they hadtied it as

they saw fit. but it doesn't make it entirely easy. >> michael: i can imagine it would be hard to be edited by these people. nicholas kristoff said that men needed to champion women's rights so that the cause would not be marginalized. >> i think by representing him in the book, by his being there and saying that, because i don't know--there are other activists who defend women whether they're male or not, but he really advocates constantly for women and has an active voice doing so. i think it was very important for him to have said that, and for him to have been in the book. >> michael: yes, and it's an extraordinary book. marianna cook is the photographer. everyone should check it out. thank you so much for being in "the war room." from works of art we move to a piece of work, brett erlich is

next. >> coming up we add our names to the list of shows that have interviews with people who no nothing about the bombing suspect. don't go away.

>> michael: down to los angeles we go to check out what the "the young turks" have coming up at the top of the hour. kemp, what's going on? they realized the rison suspect to say this is not the guy. >> cenk: you make assumptions and it seems like he is the guy. i thought he was the guy but turns out he was not the guy. there was another attack and he was released they're looking for someone who might have framed him. how often is that the case? every defendant said, i was framed, and turns out this one actually might have been framed. they don't have anyone in custody yet, so they're not positive who did it. >> michael: it's eerily reminiscent of what happened with the anthrax when they had

stephen hatfield and hounded him and it wasn't him. >> cenk: and richard jewel as well. yes, don't immediately trust the government. it's almost as if i say that on a lot of shows. >> michael: i've never heard you say that. i don't know what you're talking about. anything else fun. >> cenk: i don't know about fun but west, texas explosion not getting a lot of coverage. we're going to talk about some of the numbers as to how badly they were overcode in terms of the amount of things that could explode in that plant is unbelievable. and then the influence of islam in the tsarnaev case. and there was a guy named misha and we'll talk about that. >> michael: that's all in the war room. we'll be there. this is what you need to know this evening after two years discrazied anthony wiener re-emerged on twitter yesterday twitter, of course, brought down the young congressman after he

sent sexual you tweets. the first tweet was a link to a policy paper that he wrote. entitled keys to the city, 64 ideas of keep new york the top of the middle class. the bright side he has over 8,000 followers and he's following only one account, and that's rock away wave number. another sign that the world is moving ahead of the u.s. when it comes to marriage quality. france became the 14th and biggest country to legalize gay marriage. but there is hope in the united states. in nevada the state senate passed a resolution starting the process of repealing the state's constitution heterosection heterosexual

definition. and kelvin atkinson came out of the closet saying i'm blanding i'm gay. so when a new story as big as what happened in boston breaks, we wait a week for brett erlich to pick up the pieces. just calm down, folks because great is talking. >> ever since we first heard the names tamerlan and dhzar r r tsarnae, who were these guys really. everyone waits to score that one interview who knew them the least. >> the children of my brother would be associated with them. the last time i saw them in 2006. >> right 2006. this has authorities on the look

you had about two teens who couldn't shut up about how cool hd dvds were. old high school classmates. >> we went to high school together and we shared a class together. >> and an old acquaintance. >> but only msnbc scored an interview with this guy. >> a lot has been talked about the relationship between the two brothers. what can you tell me about their relationship? >> you know, with a strange twist of the story. i had no idea they were related until this happened. >> reporter: great, you don't know much about them, but you do love being on tv. but we here at "the war room" will put these other networks to shame. we have scored an interview with natalie. what makes you an expert? >> i was at hooters waiting for my wings and they had the news playing on mute on the tv. >> what can you tell us about

him, specifically. >> i think he has very kind eyes. does that help. >> no, that doesn't help but that's not the point. the point is that we together were able to fill two minutes of news time without really talking about anything. almost two minutes. any second. >> michael: someone is always in our war room, we here at "the war room" wish scott prescott well. have a great night young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can

question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.